Name certain scores in a certain sport. This is a two-word phrase with a total of 10 letters (5 letters in each word). If you have the right phrase, you can rearrange all the letters to name a different sport, also in two words (6 letters in the first word, 4 in the second). What are the scores, and what is the sport?Not immediately obvious, I'll admit. And when we solved it, we weren't...well let's just say we were underwhelmed.
When you've solved it, send your answer in to NPR. Feel free to use this link.
Edited to add: Oops, our bad. According to sharp-eared reader skydiveboy, there were more than 300 entries. I hereby retract my request for Will Shortz to do anything. (Sorry, Will. Happy New Year!)
Photos. Now this will be fun. Take the sport (6, 4). Below are photos of the hometowns of some of the people who are good at that sport.
Time for ...
This is where we ask you how many entries you think NPR will get for the challenge above. If you want to win, leave a comment with your guess for the range of entries NPR will receive. First come first served, so read existing comments before you guess. Ross and I guess last, just before we publish the Thursday post. After the Thursday post is up, the entries are closed. The winner gets a puzzle book of our unspecified choosing.
Amazingly, despite both of us listening--and no, neither of us consumed any alcoholic beverages or even slept late--we missed that the number of entries was "more than 300." Which means Joe Kupe is our winner. Joe, if you haven't won before (and I don't have the record book with me) please email me: Magdalen (a) Crosswordman.com to tell me where to send your prize. If you have won before, Ross can give me your address.
See, we weren't feigning deafness to avoid giving out a prize. So send in your picks for next week.
Here are the ranges:
Fewer than 50 51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250 251 - 300 301 - 350 351 - 400 401 - 450 451 - 500 501 - 550 551 - 600 601 - 650 651 - 700 701 - 750 751 - 800 801 - 850 851 - 900 901 - 950 951 - 1,000 | 1,001 - 1,050 1,051 - 1,100 1,101 - 1,150 1,151 - 1,200 1,201 - 1,250 1,251 - 1,300 1,301 - 1,350 1,351 - 1,400 1,401 - 1,450 1,451 - 1,500 1,501 - 1,550 1,551 - 1,600 1,601 - 1,650 1,651 - 1,700 1,701 - 1,750 1,751 - 1,800 1,801 - 1,850 1,851 - 1,900 1,901 - 1,950 1,951 - 2,000 | 2,001 - 2,050 2,051 - 2,100 2,101 - 2,150 2,151 - 2,200 2,201 - 2,250 2,251 - 2,300 2,301 - 2,350 2,351 - 2,400 2,401 - 2,450 2,451 - 2,500 2,501 - 2,750 2,751 - 3,000 3,001 - 3,250 3,251 - 3,500 3,501 - 4,000 4,001 - 4,500 4,501 - 5,000 More than 5,000 More than 5,000 and it sets a new record. |
Our tie-break rule: In the event that a single round number is announced, AND two separate people picked the ranges leading up to and leading up from that round number, the prize will be awarded to whichever entrant had not already won a prize, or in the event that both entrants had won a prize already or neither had, then to the earlier of the two entries on the famous judicial principle of "First Come First Serve," (or in technical legal jargon, "You Snooze, You Lose"). And yes, this rule is most-likely obsolete but I just like having fine print.
14 comments:
Magdalen,
I love the Jane Austen puzzle book!! Thank you so much. Happy New Year!!
I thought I heard her say there were over 300 entries.
I just re-listened and it said "more than 300 of you figured out the answer."
I keep wondering why so few are getting the answers lately.
SDB - I wonder the same thing. For years, the number of answers seemed to average in the 1000 - 1200 range, only dropping if it were a particularly hard puzzle. But, for months now, it's been in the low-to-mid hundreds. I'm baffled, since the puzzles haven't been especially hard.
I'll guess 451 - 500 this week.
www.curtisjohnsonimages.com
I agree with the underwhelming, but the 5/5 and the 4 part of the 6/4 seemed obvious to me. I just couldn't figure out the 6. (In my defense, I was without pencil and paper at the time. As soon as I wrote down the 6 remaining letters, the answer came to me.)
I have to go with 1001 to 1050 because I always do, although I suspect there will be fewer. Maybe we will get more answers once the holiday rush is over.
Even I saw this one pretty quickly, so it must be easy. May I have 501-550, please.
Henry BW
I will try for 201 this time.
Well, all those darn pics but one finally arrived.
As with many things, the low participation level is probably the result of several factors.
The change to a new half of the show after over 20 years is unsettling, especially since the new half never really seemed to get the idea. I wonder if she ever listened before. Now she's gone too after only a few months.
Will also seems to have lost some verve.
In addition, not everyone wants to play the Sunday Anagram Puzzle.
It seemed within reason when Magdalen finished off the Range Review with "more than 5000."
Even if this week's answer is sort of the official name of the sport, I'm surprised there hasn't been a PC movement to change it.
As for my post a week or so ago, that was the famous "unsolvable" challenge. I have always wondered how many player-hours were wasted that week.
Let's see, what's open? Hows about 251-300.
I have to agree after solving the puzzle yesterday evening that it is far less then whelming.
I solved it similarly to David this week. Came up with it on my run, but needed pen and paper to finish it up.
I'll take 401-450 please.
Setting my sights high, 851-900!
351-400
I agree that this puzzle is underwhelming!
Please, I'd like 301-350. I'm surprised this range wasn't taken already; I really checked twice.
While I hope that back to school and moving out of the winter holidays will increase the number of correct entries, perhaps this week is similar to last week. I hope their listeners are not dwindling.
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